George H. Mitchell Elementary School is a newly constructed neighborhood public school serving Pre-K through 2nd Grade students. It is the first school experience for the community before moving onto the intermediate school for third grade. The newly constructed building and site development reflect the values of the community and a true playfulness both inside and outside the building.

The project is located on the previous elementary school site which was not in use due to roof failure. The benefit was that students were already attending school at a swing space in another building, so the design and construction did not need to be phased around an occupied building.

 
The site had a number of opportunities and constraints. The surrounding stream, slopes and wooded wetland areas provided learning opportunities as well as mature protected forest to experience and view from inside the classrooms and while outdoors. These same environmental constraints required sensitive design and critical permitting. We took cues from the existing environment to design play spaces that encourage exploration of native plants, water and hillside play. The result was an incredibly playful and inclusive experience for the students and the community.

The upcoming Playgrounds Issue of Landscape Architect and Specifier News saw many firms submit their projects for feature consideration. This project was not chosen for a Feature in the issue, but we at LandscapeArchitect.com thought the project deserved to be showcased online . . .

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